It turns out that there's nothing at all special about the AO. Very good and great players - even defensive players like Ferrer - can get through 5 sets in a perfect 3:30. It's almost like for Nole and Rafa, Plan A is to break your opponent physically: just keep going and going and going until the opponent's level of play drops off significantly more than theirs does.

I don't mind that coming from David Ferrer. He doesn't have any choice but he's not someone who's matches get much notice. By contrast, Rafa and Nole are marquis players. Their passivity is just beyond annoying. I'm starting to lose respect for both of them. They're turning the sport into a farce. Only cricket fans want to watch a game that exceeds 3:30. 5-6 hours? Tennis? Most of us aren't cricket fans. Was Isner-Mahut really great? Hell no! It was a bloody 3 day cricket match. The fact that Aussies and Brits will sit through 5-6 hours/3 days of mindnumbing tennis only adds to the farce Nole and Rafa perpetuate in Melbourne. Those fans are cricket fans!!!!

...maybe the cricket fans down under did feel cheated by Federer and Tsonga tonight. I'm guessing they did, but I'm not a cricket fan, I have no idea what goes through their mindnumbed brains.

Noles problem is that he needs to improve upon his tennis game. He going to be facing tougher competition in the future and needs to improve upon his overhead smash and court positioning. These things take time so he needs to get in some 3.5-4.0 drill to gain the improvement. After all; to be a complete player he needs to face some tougher competition - some 3.5 players.

Noles problem is that he needs to improve upon his tennis game. He going to be facing tougher competition in the future and needs to improve upon his overhead smash and court positioning. These things take time so he needs to get in some 3.5-4.0 drill to gain the improvement. After all; to be a complete player he needs to face some tougher competition - some 3.5 players.

like who, Tomic, Dimitrov, Raonic ... any other mugs? . and 'Noles problem is that he needs to improve upon his tennis game' ... let me think here, he is #1 in the world (send him a letter about how to improve his game if you are that smart ) ... and your problem is 'to improve your English'. oh boy.

Rafa and Nole aren't making a farce out of tennis. They're changing the face of it. Tennis has been moving toward being more about fitness for a while, and Rafa and Nole are just about the two most fit people in tennis. But to say they're matches are mind-numbing proves you are either idiotic or that you aren't watching. These two have tons of amazing rallies with huge shots going back and forth an unimaginable defending skills. The Djoker-Nadal rivalry is helping tennis in the same way that Sampras-Agassi did. They have awesome matches with amazing tennis. There isn't a problem.

Rafa and Nole aren't making a farce out of tennis. They're changing the face of it. Tennis has been moving toward being more about fitness for a while, and Rafa and Nole are just about the two most fit people in tennis. But to say they're matches are mind-numbing proves you are either idiotic or that you aren't watching. These two have tons of amazing rallies with huge shots going back and forth an unimaginable defending skills. The Djoker-Nadal rivalry is helping tennis in the same way that Sampras-Agassi did. They have awesome matches with amazing tennis. There isn't a problem.

I didn't make it half way through before I lost interest in your mind-numbing post...

What do Rafa and Nole do that contribute to the length of their matches???? They take all freakin' day between points.

So now we have 2 examples of the powers that be identifying the length of the men's matches as being problematic.1. The AO quickened the speed of the surface2. The ATP is enforcing the 25-second rule - if it weren't for Nole and Rafa, no one would care about the damn thing, as it's gotten no attention for years.

Babs, OK speed up the courts, I'm in. not all courts tho, but give us more variety. the thing is you would still have top players winning left and right. Nole won Dubai a few times, and that's probably the fastest HC we have. It's even faster than Cinci. the USO is still fast.

I don't know. I don't want to watch servebots btw. it's boring but we are all different I guess. I like long rallies and long matches because I'm a tennis addict .

btw, The AO is my favorite tournament, and no, it's not because of Nole being the King down under. it's more about the atmosphere, the crowd. so much passion. just love it.

Wimbledon should be played on HC too. I love grass but different kinda grass (oops, did I just say this?) ... now you have it, I hope I ruined your thread